PM to Abbott: act in national interest

Julia Gillard has urged Tony Abbott to keep an open mind about any proposals to break the asylum deadlock put up by a group of eminent experts that were appointed after the parliamentary gridlock of last week.

PM to Abbott: act in national interest

30 June 2012Misha Schubert

Julia Gillard has urged Tony Abbott to keep an open mind about any proposals to break the asylum deadlock put up by a group of eminent experts that were appointed after the parliamentary gridlock of last week.

But the Opposition Leader brushed aside the Prime Minister's call, insisting only a change of government - and implementing Liberal policy - would resolve the issue.

''People understand that the only way to stop the boats is to change the government, because they know Labor's heart just isn't in it,'' Mr Abbott told the Liberals federal council in Melbourne.

As two more boats carrying 108 people were intercepted on Friday night, Ms Gillard restated her commitment to compromise.

One boat carrying 41 people was picked up north-east of the Ashmore Islands in the Timor Sea, and a second carrying 67 passengers was intercepted at the Cocos Islands.

Passengers from both boats will be processed on Christmas Island.

Parliament failed to agree on a compromise bill on asylum policy earlier this week, despite about 100 people dying in twin boat disasters in the past 10 days.

Ms Gillard said she wanted effective action.

''I am certainly prepared to work with anyone who wants to put the national interest first and get this done,'' she said.

The Prime Minister also took issue with Mr Abbott signalling he would not change policy regardless of the expert panel's advice because he believed existing Coalition policy was the right one.

''Mr Abbott, I think, needs to look at the outcome from those eminent Australians. Mr Abbott on the one hand can't say he respects these people, and then say that their views are of no worth,'' Ms Gillard said.

The Coalition immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, repeated the opposition's calls for Nauru to be reopened on Saturday, saying the government's inaction was encouraging the illegal boats.

The former solicitor-general of Nauru Kerry Smith-Douglas agreed, saying at the time of the Howard government's Pacific solution the detainees ''were all happy … they had the freedom of the island''.

The former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer described himself as the father of the Pacific solution and said the Rudd/Gillard government should be condemned for opening Australia back up to people smugglers. He said Indonesia should not be allowed to get away with leaving the problem to Australia.

''You can make Indonesia part of the solution, not let Indonesia get away with saying this is an Australian problem and we're having nothing to do with it,'' he said at the Liberal Party federal council in Melbourne.

The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has conceded there's a risk more asylum seekers could die over the next six weeks while parliament is in winter recess.

The former defence chief Angus Houston, the former top diplomat Michael L'Estrange and the refugee advocate Paris Aristotle have been asked to assess all asylum policy options.

They will examine the Malaysian deal and the Coalition's policies - reopening Nauru, reintroducing temporary protection visas and boat tow-backs - and report to the government and parliament in August.

Mr Abbott has vowed to stick with the Coalition's policy pledges, regardless of what the panel concludes, despite saying they were Australians of ''great distinction''.